Condensation exhauster for ironing machines and the like



3o, `192s. 1,689,462 c. E. 'rRTTER ET AL CONDENSATION EXHAUSTER FORIRONING MACHINES AND THE LIKE Filed Jul`y 25, 1927 Patented Oct. 30,1928.

UNITED gSTATES lPA'IENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE E. TROTTER AND FORREST J. CO'UCH, 0F AGITCINNA'JJI, OHIO,ASSIGNORS T0 THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHNERY COMPANY, OF CNCINNATI, OHIO,A COR- PORATION OF OHIO.

Y l CONDENSATION EXHAUSTER FOR IRONING `lllACI-llINES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed July 23,

This invention relates to flat work ironers and particularly to springpadding and air circulating means therefor.

Heretofore flat work ironers have been providedv with rolls comprisingan inner supporting shell and an outer textile fabric pad spaced fromthe inner shell to provide an air space or annular cylindrical chamberwith means for exhausting the air from this annular space to produce asuction through the fabric pad for the purpose of removing moisture toincrease the ironing and drying effects of the machine andincrease thelife of the padding. In these arrangements the. chamber between theinner shell and the outer padding `has been exhausted, of its air, byperforations distributed throughout the length of the shell andl leadingto an inner chamber connected to an exhaust by a pipe or conduit leadingthrough one of the trunnions of the roll. Such an arrangement has provedunsatisfad tory due possibly to the fact that the suction effect is notproperly distributed throughout the entire padding resulting in unevendrying and suction effect. Y

The present inventiontherefore relates to a flat work ironer or similarmachine employing a roll or rolls where preferably each of the rolls ismade up of an inner supporting shell, an outer fabric pad spacedtherefrom by any suitable medium, such as the springs of a spring pad,together with a suitable air moving circuit established by providinginlet openings at the outer ends and near the periphery of the roll andexhausting conduits or nipples extending through the innershell in agroup at substantially the center of the length of the roll togetherwith exhausting means connectedto the inner shell for producing a flowof :air inwardly from the ends through the annular spacebetween theshell and pad to the center and thence into Vthe inside of the rollthrough the nipples and out by any suitable means. By this arrangementthe suction effect is evenly distributed throughout the en- Vtire padinasmuch aspthe exhausting of the air from the center of the annularchamber, between the pad and the shell, more nearly produces paths ofVsubstantially equal length for the air to travel to the exhaust.

Other features of the invention will be 1927. Serial No. 208,019.

brought out in the following description, drawings and claims.

ln the embodiment set forth in the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevationof the machine equipped with our device; Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection, partly broken away, showing the structure of the padding andthe roll; Fig. 3 is a section upon the line 3-3,"Fig. 2; Fig. 4L is asection, broken away, upon the line 4 4, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a sectionupon the line 5 5, Figs. 1, 2, 3 and l.

In the embodiment shown, 1 represents a suitable frame, more or lessconventionally shown, and provided with suitable supporting bearings 2for the various rolls, six of which are shown. The machine is alsoprovided with a manifold 3 connected to an exhaust fan 4 driven in anysuitable manner. Leading upward from this manifold 3 area gang of pipesor conduits 5, one for each roll. Each of these pipes is connected to anelbow 6 connected by a swivelled joint 6 of any preferred construction,to a trunnion tube 7' leading into the trunnion of each roll, as willappear. This pipe 7 is provided with an'opening 7 near its inner end. l

Through the instrumentality of this suc'- tion fan, suction is madeeffective upon the interior of each roll.

The heart of the invention resides in the construction of the roll, itspadding and the means incorporated in the roll for establishing theproper circuit of air through the padding to the interior of the roll.The arrangement for producing this result is preferably provided inconnection with each roll and a description of one, as shown in Figs. 1,2, 8, 4 and 5, will sulice for all.

In these views 2, 3, l and 5,18 represents an inner cylindrical shell,of pipe or other' suitable material, closed at the suction end bya'suitable head or plug 9 provided with a hollow -trunnion 10 and anopening 11 for the pipe 7 as shown clearly in Fig. 2. This particularhead or plug 9 is provided with a radially disposed opening 12 near` thecenter and communicating with a suitable trap the latter being fast inthe head or plug 9 to turn with it. This trap communicates with theinside of the shell through a lateral opening 14, as shown in Figs. 3and 5. rllhe head or plug 9 to the rear of the opening is provided witha tin or blade entend ing diagonally from the wall of the plug for thepurpose of scooping up moisture of condensation as it settles down andcollects in the bottom of the roll as it is revolved, as will clearlyappear.

The opposite end of the shell 8 is provided with another plug 16 similarto the plug 9, but not shown as provided with a trap, etc. It may beprovided with a trap or suction pipe or tube in which case the centralopening 17 will he replaced with .a tube 7 in place of a solid shaft 18,as shown. The shell 8, at substantially the center of its length, isprovided with a group, t-wo annular rows being shown, of hollow nipples19 threaded int-o the shell and extending inward for a suflicientdistance so that when they are `at the bottom they trap and prevent thepassage of any water of condensation which may have collected inside ofthe roll to the outside of the shell. These nipples therefore serve thedual purpose of establishing the only communication with the innerchamber 20 of the shell and the space outside of the shell. Theylikewise serve to prevent the water of condensation indicated at 21 inFig. 2 from passing .through them to the padding upon the shell.

Y Surrounding the shell 8 is the base 22 of a 1 spring which is providedwith a plurality oi springs28 suitably placed and of the proper heightto form, with its outer padding, to be described, an annular cylindricalchamber about the base 22 and therefore the shell 8. Suitable openings24 through the base 22 serve to establish communication between thenipples 19 and this annular chamber. Upon the outside of the springs 23are suitable layers 25 of material to form a pad. r1hese layers may bebuilt up in any approved manner. Secured to both of the heads 9 and 16are brackets 26 supporting annularI rings 2'? litting inside of thepadding 25 and serving to provide peripheral end air passages 28 leadingto the air chamber formed about the springs between the padding and theshell.

From .the foregoing description it will be seen that when the rolls arein ironing .position and the suction fan is operating a suction effectwill be produced through the tube -7 throughout the inner chamber 20 ofthe shell, thence through the nipples 19 and throughout the annularchamber formed about the shell and about the springs within t-he pad 25,inlet air passing through the padding and any further air necessarypassing in through t-he peripheral end openings 28. By this arrangementit will be seen that the suction effect is satised by a more or lessevenly distributed air current passing through the pad with relief atthe ends of the rolls. lt must be borne in mind that as pad is used on aflat work ironer and the like it gradually becomes very tightly wrappedand hard and resists the passage of air through it, but is stillsensitive to some through air flow but in any case any undue suctioneffect when this condition arises is satisiied by the periphery 28opening at the ends of the roll. Many attempts have been made to usethis suction principle with rolls of this type and even with rollsprovided with spring padding but they have all failed due, it isbelieved, to the fact that there was not the proper distribution of thesuction effect upon the pad. This difficulty has obviously been overcomein the present application.

In some instances the moisture handled by this arrangement .of apparatusmay collect in the roll, as indicatechand if this moisture werepermitted to pass out through the periphery of the roll, it would watersoalvthe padding and if rust were present in the roll, rusty water mightdamage the padding and also the goods treated. This is overcome in thepresent arrangement by reason of the fact that the fin or blade 15Vcollects the water in the lateral opening 14 as the cylinder revolvesand causes it to pass into the trap or chamber 13 as it moves toward thetop and from whence it is discharged through-the opening 7 into thesuction tube 7 where it may pass out through the fan. It is also quiteobvious that since the nipples project inward, they protect the suctionopenings in the shell from allowing water to pass through to the outsideof the shell and the pad.

nWhat we claim is:

1. In a machine of the class describd, `a heated bed, a rotatableironing roll spaced therefrom, a cylindrical pervious padding encasingsaid roll and spaced therefrom to provide an annular cylindrical chamberbetween the padding and the roll, supporting means for sai-d paddingproviding openings completely around and at both ends of lthe roll toestablish communication between the annular chamber and the atmosphere,andl air and moisture conducting means connected with said chamber in aZone at the center of the llo length of the roll through which air mayvbe exhausted from said chamber.

2. 1n a machine of the class .described as in claim 1 wherein the meansfor supporting the padding upon the roll is spring pad-ding throughoutthe length yof the roll and additional means are provided beyond theends of the roll for .supporting the padding at these points.

3. 1n a machine of the class described as in claim 1 wherein the roll isin the form of a hollow drum and is provided with a group of openingssubstantially midway of its length, and inwardly projecting tubes arelocated in said openings for collecting the moisture within the roll andpreventing its the roll and means for collecting moisture passing to thepadding. from within said roll and delivering it to the 10 4. In amachine of the class described as in outside through the trunnion.

Claim l wherein the roll is in the form of a In testimony whereof wehereby aflix our hollow drum and is provided with a group of signatures.

openings substantially midway of its length, inwardly proj eoting tubesare located in said f CLARENCE E. TROTTER. openings for collecting themoisture within FORREST J. COUCH.

